She pushed the negative thoughts away and focused on the road. They’d taken one of his mother’s cars since Whitney’s SUV was still in the underground parking lot at the airport. It was hard to believe that his mother had left so many beautiful clothes behind in her Manhattan townhouse. And what was even more surprising was that the older woman had been a fan of the country-western fashion. Not only that but that Zack had several pairs of jeans and tee-shirts – along with cowboy boots – in his collection, too.
They’d been on the road for nearly seven hours now. Zack had driven some of the time, but then they switched. Now he was asleep.
She slanted a glance at him. His head rested against the back of the seat near the window, and his mouth hung slightly open. Right after they had both changed their clothes and she saw him for the first time with short hair, a beard stubble, and wearing jeans, a tee-shirt, and boots, she about lost her breath. He definitely didn’t look like a billionaire now. Unfortunately, she found him more attractive when he looked like a normal man.
Thinking of him that way was unacceptable, and she should figure out how to stop it now. Being attracted to him would be distracting, and she really needed to focus on her assignment.
She glanced in the rearview mirror and driver’s side mirror again. Nobody had followed them, thank goodness. The further away from New York City they drove, the better she’d feel.
Zack stirred in the seat and turned toward her. His eyes were closed, but a soft smile bracketed his handsome face. Was he dreaming? She knew exactly what she’d been dreaming about when she’d drifted off for a little cat nap when Zack had been driving. She was so thankful that he couldn’t read her thoughts or she’d be in big trouble.
Whitney focused back on the road. The sun had disappeared, and darkness covered the land. The glare from the streetlights stung her eyes. Yawning, she shifted in her seat. Maybe she should crack open her window just a little. The cooler air would help wake her.
“I’m hungry. How about you?”
Zack’s deep voice breaking the silence in the car made her jump. Her heart beat faster. Did he know she’d been taking quick peeks at him while he was asleep?
“Yes, I’m hungry, too.”
“I’m in the mood for a steak smothered with sautéed mushrooms, and a baked potato loaded with all the toppings.” Zack stayed in his relaxed position as he stared at her.
Her stomach grumbled, and her mouth watered. “As much as that sounds delicious, we’ll need to find someplace a little cheaper to eat.” She glanced his way briefly. His big, brown eyes were still on her. “We can’t use our bank cards, remember?”
“I have cash.” He sat up and stretched his long legs in front of him. “When I went into hiding the first time, I withdrew a lot of money to help me live.”
“That’s very wise of you, however, we don’t know how long we’ll be in hiding, so we need to save what we have.”
“You know, I got to thinking earlier, that while we’re on this horse ranch, maybe the owner will let us work for him. Then we’ll both get a paycheck.”
She nodded. “That’s a good idea. Hopefully, Joe will be able to hire us.”
“Joe?”
“Yes, Joe Robbins. He’s the owner of the horse ranch.”
“How well do you know him?” Zack’s voice took on a worried tone. “If Senator Sterling’s hitman asks around, will he know you have taken me there?”
“There’s nothing to worry about.” She shook her head. “Joe is my stepfather, but my mother divorced him when I was ten-years-old. Joe and I have kept in touch over the years, but it’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.” She glanced at Zack again. “You’ll like Joe.”
“Okay, so then let’s go get us some steak for dinner.”
She chuckled. “Fine.”
She turned down Main Street. The last time she was here, there was a steak restaurant down this way. But as she drove slowly through Greenston, she noticed there were several more restaurants. The small town wasn’t so little any longer, and that worried her.
“There’s one,” Zack said, pointing toward the red-bricked building on the left side of the street.
She pulled in the parking lot, stopped, and killed the engine. As she reached for the door handle, Zack grasped her arm lightly.
“So, what’s our story?”
“Story?” she asked.
“I know we won’t be able to use our last names, so how do we introduce ourselves? Are you going to be my sister? My girlfriend? My... wife?”
“Oh, that. I haven’t really thought of it. I suppose we can go as brother and sister—”
“I was thinking,” he quickly interrupted her, “that we could be husband and wife.”
“Really...” She narrowed her gaze. There was only one reason for him to want to do that, and that was something he was never going to get from her.
He nodded. “We already argue like we’ve been married for years, and so people will naturally believe it when they hear the way we talk to each other.”
She couldn’t hold back the bark of laughter that sprang from her throat. Apparently, his mind wasn’t in the bedroom. It’s a good thing she hadn’t voiced her thoughts. How embarrassing!
“That’s true, Zack. We do argue a lot.”
He withdrew his hand, grinning. “I thought you’d like that.”
“And so what last name should we use?” she wondered.
“Hmm...” His gaze moved toward the street, going from one neon sign to the next. “How about Tucker?”
She found the shop that was titled Smuckers. He must have gotten the name from there. “Okay, Zack Tucker. Let’s go eat. I’m hungry.”
As they entered the establishment, Zack slid his arm loosely around her waist as they waited to be seated. She looked at him and cocked her head as she patted his hand hooked on her hip. “Seriously?”
He nodded. “Yeah, you’re my wife. I can show affection in public. It’s not against the law.”
“But if we argue like an old married couple,” she lowered her voice, “then people won’t even notice that we’re not being affectionate.”
Whitney displayed her best smile as the hostess showed them to a booth toward the back of the room. Inwardly, Whitney groaned. Why weren’t there more lights? In fact, it appeared like a chuck-wagon themed room. Each booth was made into a covered wagon. This place was definitely not here when she’d visited Joe last.
“Oh, wow,” Zack chuckled. “Look darling, isn’t this romantic?”
He slid on the bench, so she quickly sat across the table from him. As her hands rested on the table, he reached over and took them, caressing her knuckles with his thumbs.
The hostess told them the nightly specials, gave their menus and left. Whitney tried to pull her hands away, but Zack held onto them.
“Smile,” he said.
She shot him an irritated glare. “What’s there to smile about?”
He chuckled. “We’re going to have steaks and loaded potatoes.”
His comment made her relax, and yes, she even smiled. He winked and withdrew his touch as he picked up the menu.
“I’m sorry I’m so grumpy,” she said, looking over her menu. “I’m just tired.”
“I understand.” He looked up at her. “Does Joe know we’re coming tonight?”
“Yes. I called him earlier today.”
“Does he know... about us?”
“That we’re hiding?” she whispered. “Yes, he knows.”
It didn’t take long for the waitress to take their orders and leave. Whitney leaned against the wall, letting the table and the back of the booth cradle her as she relaxed. Zack played with the light switch on the lantern hooked to the wall. He turned down the light, and then made it bright again. She couldn’t believe how something this mundane would keep him entertained.
“Whitney?”
“Yes.”
“Will you tell me how you became an FBI agent?”
She played
with the ends of her wavy hair, not wanting to look him in the eyes. “I thought I’d told you already.”
“No. You just mentioned taking college courses that led to that field.”
Rats! She really didn’t want Zack to know everything about her.
“My father was an FBI agent, and he died a hero later in life.” She frowned. “My mother divorced him when I was four-years-old, and she married Joe. My father was married to his job, and I’d rarely see him. But he called me on my birthday and on holidays.”
She’d been staring at the edge of the table and only looked up when Zack took hold of her hand and softly caressed the back of it.
“I’m sorry,” he said with concern in his voice.
“My teenage years were difficult, and I wanted to prove to those who didn’t believe in me that I could do something important like my father. I could be a hero just like he was.”
“Do you love your job as your father had?”
She gave him a small smile. “Yes. I suppose you can say I’m married to my job, too.”
Nodding, he continued to caress her hand. “I don’t quite understand something.” He paused, staring deeply into her eyes. “Where in your quest to find acceptance did you come to love historical painters so much?”
A different emotion filled her as she found her smile. “That happened in college. I had the best professor.” She shrugged. “I don’t know what it was, but some of the older paintings captured an essence of my inner self and made me feel things in a different way.” She sighed. “It’s hard to explain. But it was exactly what I needed at that time in my life. It was the one thing that made me feel special.”
“Whitney?” he asked softly. “Why didn’t you feel special growing up?”
She’d definitely said too much. That was mainly why she shut her mouth while doing her job. Once she started talking about her past, the floodgates would open. She couldn’t let that happen with Zack.
“Oh, look.” She pointed toward the waiter. “Our salads are here.”
She would purposely eat the salad slowly, even though she was starved. There was no way she wanted to talk any more about her and her past. She didn’t feel comfortable discussing her past unless she was with her psychiatrist.
Whitney had to watch what she said from now on. Who knew how long she and Zack would be hiding out? But one thing was for sure. She did not want to have feelings for him – unless they were feelings of dislike.
SEVEN
Zack was sure that the FBI agent was keeping secrets from him. Of course, he didn’t expect Whitney to tell him every detail of her life, but she had clammed up right after their salads had been served, and she’d been remarkably quiet since then.
Now, as they drove toward the woods in the dark, he tried to think of an interesting topic to discuss. But the more he watched the town disappear behind them, the more he worried that she didn’t know where she was going. No way did he want to get stranded out here. The one thing he knew about Maine was that they had black bears and moose... both of which could kill a person if the animals were angered. He wasn’t a hunter, but he’d certainly fight for survival. The only time he came to Maine – which wasn’t often – was to stay at the tourist attraction, Mary’s Bed and Breakfast.
These woods looked nothing like the little town he’d taken some of his dates to for a romantic weekend. He wouldn’t know what to do in the woods if something were to happen to him or Whitney.
When she turned off the main road, unease settled deeper within him. The woods were thicker, and the dirt road appeared a little muddy as if there had been a rainstorm sometime today. Driving in the mud with his mother’s car didn’t exactly seem like a safe way to travel.
“Hey, Whitney? Do you know where you’re going?”
“Yes. I’ve been here several times.”
She kept her eyes on the road ahead, her fingers wrapped tightly around the steering wheel. Although her face appeared to be calm, her white knuckles made him question her facial expression.
“Does your stepfather know we’re coming so late?” he wondered.
She chuckled lightly. “Zack, it’s only eight o’clock. That’s not late.”
“I know. It’s just so... dark.”
“That’s because the clouds are hiding the moon.”
“Do you still know your way?”
“Yes.” She peeked at him before returning her gaze to the road. “Will you stop worrying?”
“I can’t help it.” He shrugged.
“Tell me, Zack.” She glanced his way again before looking back at the road. “Are you an outdoorsy kind of guy?”
“Of course, I am. Put me on the beach and I’ll stay there for months. Or,” he looked at the window at the trees growing thicker by the second, “put me in Switzerland at a ski lodge and you’ll have to drag me off the snow-packed mountains.”
“Have you ever gone camping?”
“Sure. I was a boy scout when I was young.”
She laughed. “Oh, really? Do you remember anything about what you learned?”
“Hmm...” He tapped his fingers on the arm rest of the door as he tried to remember what he’d learned. “I have started a fire before. I’ve even chopped wood.” He looked back at her. “I could probably even tie a square knot if given some rope.”
“I’m proud of you, then.” She smiled. “At least you remembered something.”
He leaned toward her and bumped her with his elbow. “But I probably wouldn’t remember how to set up a tent.”
She laughed again. He realized he liked the sound of her voice when she was lighthearted this way. It made him grin.
“What about you? Were you ever a girl’s scout?”
She nodded. “Yes, and I could sell you cookies once a year.”
He threw back his head and chortled joyfully. “What do you know... Agent Whitney has a sense of humor after all.”
She tossed him that look where she rolled her eyes at him and her mouth thinned in a straight line. He was getting to know her expressions quite well and they hadn’t been together for very long. But he enjoyed trying to read her, only because most of the time he was correct.
“Ha-ha-ha,” she said slowly. “I have a sense of humor. Just because I don’t show it all the time, doesn’t mean I don’t have one.”
“Hey, I know you want to be this tough FBI agent,” he shifted toward her on the seat, studying her profile, “but you might as well loosen up now that we’re both in hiding. If not, you’re not going to enjoy this fun adventure.”
She gasped and glanced at him with wide eyes before snapping her attention back to the road. “Why should I enjoy myself when a hitman is after us?”
He leaned over closer to her, smiling. “Because, seeing you smile and hearing you laugh makes the day brighter,” he said softly in her ear.
She sucked in a fast breath and peered at him again. Her gaze dropped to his mouth and her face relaxed.
“We might as well make the day the best we can, especially when we don’t know how long it will last.” He winked.
He knew the squirrels were running the wheel in her head a little faster so that she could figure out what he was saying. But then she shook her head and looked straight ahead. Seconds later, she cussed and yanked on the steering wheel. He fell against her. She pushed on the brakes and the car came to a stop.
His heart accelerated as panic grew inside of him. He swung his focus to the windshield. Whitney had run off the road and nearly smashed into a tree.
Groaning, she rested her head against her hands that were clutching the steering wheel as if it was a floating device and she was drowning. Her breaths were ragged. Silence filled the car. Zack wanted to accuse her of not paying attention, and yet he was the reason she’d become distracted.
After a few minutes, she blew out a gush of air from her mouth and straightened. She reached for the door handle and wrapped her fingers around the knob.
He grasped her arm, stopping her. “Wh
at are you doing?”
She threw him a glare. “I need to get out and assess the damage.”
“Damage? You didn’t hit the tree.”
“No, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to get the car back on the road.”
Fear made his throat tighten. “Why?”
“The ground is muddy.”
He grumbled under his breath. “Well, don’t go out alone. I’ll go with you.”
She arched an eyebrow. “You? The boy scout who might be able to start a fire?”
His mouth twisted as he stared at her. He wished she’d stop treating him like an imbecile. “All I know is that it’ll be better if we both go out... to protect each other, of course.”
“What do I need protection from?”
He sat back and folded his arms. “You don’t watch many horror films, do you?”
She shook her head and opened her door. “Whatever.” As she climbed out, she turned and looked at him again. “Are you coming?”
He jerked his door open and climbed out. The ground under his feet squished when he walked. Frowning, he shook his head. Just as he feared... they were stuck in mud.
The car sat in front of a tree, but there was enough room for him to move in front of the car and push, and yet, he doubted it would do any good if the tires didn’t have the traction they needed. From what he could tell, the road was a good twenty-feet away... on an incline. Even with help from Whitney, there would be no way to push the car back onto the road.
Whitney growled, stomped to the back of the car, and opened the trunk. Zack met her there.
“What are you looking for?” he asked.
“A flashlight.” She moved their luggage in her search. “I don’t exactly want to continue our journey on foot unless we have a flashlight.”
“What?” His voice rose in volume. “You want to walk?”
She looked at him from her over shoulder. “Greyson, you sound as if you’re afraid of the dark.”
He huffed and folded his arms. “It’s not the dark that scares me. It’s what in the dark that I’m worried about.”
The Missing Billionaire (The Tycoons #2) Page 5
